OP, the REAL difference between a 22 in bbl and a 24 in bbl is mostly between the ears of an individual shooter.
IMHO, the bit of added weight at the muzzle slightly helps to steady your offhand aim. There may be a bit of difference in balance point but not enough that most people will notice.
As for the scopes you've chosen, they've been well thought out and well tested over the years by shooters and manufacturers.
Now, not all scopes are made to equal standards. That doesn't mean there will be anything out of spec with any of the types listed, but even within the same product line, every scope is subject to the combination of its components and proper assembly. There can be some distinct variables between every scope. Same goes for binoculars/spotting scopes.
If you have the opportunity, go to a shop or store with a good selection of scopes and talk with the salesperson. Some actually know what they're doing. Ask if you can look through the different scopes in your price range and compare them to each other. Most places, if they aren't to busy, will let you do this. Don't take up hours of their time. If you're really lucky, they will let you take the scope outside the store, so that you can compare the sharpness and parallax (look it up, very important) at different distances.
Most hunting scopes in your price range will sacrifice adjustable parallax to keep up the quality of their lenses. That means their parallax will be fixed at a dedicated distance, usually from 100 to 150 yards. Don't cheap out and try to mount a scope intended for a 22 rimfire. Parallax settings will be to close and it likely won't stand up to recoil.
I actually prefer fixed power scopes for hunting, rather than adjustable magnification. Just less to go wrong and some scopes will actually change points of impact on target, when the power is adjusted. Figure out which focal plane is the best for your purposes.
— A riflescope's reticle is placed in either the first focal plane (FFP) or the second focal plane (SFP). The main difference between them is that an SFP reticle will appear to be the same size regardless of magnification. ... One advantage is that you have a strong and easy-to-see reticle even at the lowest magnification.
Focus, is also important. With some scopes it's almost impossible to set the focus at a given distance, which is best set up at the parallax fine point, and having the reticle and image sharp at the same setting. This can be a real PIA.
The rifle you just purchased is very likely capable of better accuracy than you are presently capable of shooting. No diss intended. I would suggest getting into handloading for it as well, then it will really shine.
Learn how to clean it properly. Cleaning properly is one of the most important skills you can pick up. IMHO, most casual shooters lack the necessary knowledge of what will cause the accuracy in a particular rifle to deteriorate and blame it on the scope.
The very odd rifle will have a bore that doesn't need a couple of fouling shots to be at its best. Then it's good for another 20-30+ shots before the bullet jacket/powder fouling need to be cleaned right down to the metal of the bore. This would take up way to much space to go into fully. Get a bottle of OUTERS WIPE OUT and a good Dewey cleaning rod, with proper attachments and patches, then follow the instructions on the can.
Don't expect a freshly cleaned rifle to shoot to point of aim, until a few fouling rounds are fired. Think hard about this. A buck in your sights isn't going to wait around for you to take those fouling shots, before you take a shot at him. This needs to be done before the hunt begins and your first shot on big game is ALWAYS FROM A COLD BARREL.
When sighting in your rifle, if you barrel hasn't been stabilized at the factory, shooting until the barrel is HOT is just a waste of time and ammo. Sight in your rifle under similar conditions that you will shoot in the field. Allow your barrel to cool between shots. It's the first shot that does the job 95% of the time. The second shot, if needed maybe 5% and a third shot is usually just wasted ammo.
There is a lot more.
Check out the onsite banners at the top of the page for clearance/sale prices on scopes. Just before Christmas I picked up a very nice Bushnell Elite 6500, 2.5-16x50 with 30mm tube for just over $300. It was a store demo, but all of the warranty was still in and there wasn't a mark on it anywhere. That scope normally costs well over $600.
If you cash is tight or your budget is set, just remember that often demo units have been selected for their quality, before being put out.
Every one of the Banner supporters/advertisers has a sale/clearance section.
